He was always professional, approachable, kind, helpful and had an easy smile. [47] Gordon was thus powerless when the Imperial forces executed all of the Taiping POWs, an act that enraged him. Southampton, where Gordon had stayed with his sister, Augusta, in Rockstone Place before his departure to the Sudan, erected a memorial in Porter's Mead, now Queen's Park, near the town's docks. [201], Gordon and the Mahdi never met, but the two men, both charismatic and intensely religious soldiers who saw themselves as fighting for God, had developed a grudging mutual respect. [209] As dawn broke on the morning of 26 January 1885, the Ansar regiments, led by their riflemen and followed by their spearmen, marched out of their camps under their black banners. Finally, after much prompting on Stead's part, Gordon opened up and attacked Gladstone's Sudan policy, coming out for an intervention to defeat the Mahdi. [187] To counter Gordon's armoured streamers, the Mahdi built a series of forts along the Nile equipped with Krupp guns that over time proceeded to make it almost impossible for Gordon's navy to operate. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. [15] He was sent to the Russian Empire, arriving at Balaklava in January 1855. Following the Hyson was a fleet of 80 junks converted to gunboats. The Reverend Reginald Barnes, who knew him well, describes him as "of the middle height, very strongly built". [69], King Leopold II then asked Gordon again to take charge of the Congo Free State. You can then forward the email to the family or print it and give it to them personally. I had the privilege of working with George for many years at both the Ridout Street & Hyde Park Sterling locations. His Irish-Italian family raised him. Jackie and Thomas Reinke | Obituaries | norfolkdailynews.com Death Notices - Ross-shire Journal He was predeceased by Beverly Fletcher, his first wife of 35 years, his parents, three brothers, four sisters and one granddaughter. The true joy of Georges life were his five beloved and oftentimes spoiled grandchildren: Maeve, Emmett, Isla, Felicity, and Nixon. "[204] On 14 December 1884, Gordon wrote the last entry in his diary, which read: "Now MARK THIS, if the Expeditionary Force and I ask for no more than two hundred men, does not come in ten days, the town may fall; and I have done my best for the honour of our country. Staveley selected Gordon, who had been made a brevet major in December 1862 and the nomination was approved by the British government. There was many an early Sunday morning where I would have to phone him at home with some technical issue. [183], Gordon decided to stay and hold Khartoum despite the orders of the Gladstone government to merely report about the best means of supervising the evacuation of the Sudan. [139], Gordon went to Beijing and used all his influence to ensure peace. [88] The languages of Khedive's court were Turkish and French, not Arabic. [119] Gordon also promised that those rebels who laid down their arms would not be punished and would all be given jobs in the administration. GEORGE FOLK OBITUARY. [118], Gordon carried no weapons except for his rattan cane (though the bashi-bazouks were armed with rifles and swords), but Gordon showed utterly no fear while his interpreter and the bashi-bazouks were visibly nervous as the rebels numbered about 3,000. I miss you my dear George; emailing you in the morning about orders was a norm thing but now getting answers from someone else using your email address feels really weired. Share Obituary. Gordon is survived by his three children Scott, Dana and Whitney, His sister Dee and three step sons Bob, Kirk and Jeff, and "eight of the best grandkids . Published on December 13, 2020 Plant a Living Memorial Initially, the siege of Khartoum was more in nature a blockade rather than a true siege as the Mahdi's forces lacked the strength to wage a proper siege, for example, only cutting the telegraphy lines in April 1884. [174] Gordon sent a telegram to Khartoum reading: "Don't be panic-stricken. The scriptures both Old and New Testaments are the law of his life and death. [73] Urban wrote that the best evidence suggests Gordon was a latent homosexual, whose sexual repression led him to funnelling his aggression into a military career with a special energy. During his "career break" in the Holy Land, the very religious Gordon sought to explore his faith and biblical sites. He first displayed his death wish as he wrote at the time that he had gone "to the Crimea, hoping, without having a hand in it, to be killed". It is often suggested that that campaign by William Randolph Hearst's paper that led to the US invasion of Cuba in 1898 was the world's first episode of this kind, but the British press deserves these dubious laurels for its actions a full fourteen years earlier". Relations between Egypt and Abyssinia (later renamed Ethiopia) had become strained due to a dispute over the district of Bogos, and war broke out in 1875. He was 96. As such, Gordon's role in suppressing the rebellion has caused his reputation to suffer in China, in addition to his role as a general in service of the Manchu-dominated Qing government, which systematically oppressed the Han Chinese majority. "[193], On 9 September 1884, an armoured steamer, the Abbas, on its way to Cairo, was captured by the Ansar for the first time and all aboard were killed. [27] Gordon continued surveying, marking off the boundary into Asia Minor. In early 1884, Gordon was sent to Khartoum with instructions to secure the evacuation of loyal soldiers and civilians and to depart with them. Find the obituary of Gordon L. Arnold (1982 - 2023) from Batesville, IN. [52] Gordon then returned to Kunshan and disbanded his army in June 1864. In addition, one of the first Woolwich Free Ferry vessels was named Gordon in his memory. [155] He accepted and returned to London to make preparations, but soon after his arrival, the British requested that he proceed immediately to the Sudan, where the situation had deteriorated badly after his departure another revolt had arisen, led by the self-proclaimed Mahdi, Mohammed Ahmed. I wish his family peace and beautiful memories. [159], With public opinion demanding that Gordon be sent to the Sudan, on 16 January 1884, the Gladstone government decided to send him there, albeit with the very limited mandate to report on the situation and advise on the best means of carrying out the evacuation. If I cannot, I shall retire to the Equator and leave you with the indelible disgrace of abandoning the garrisons". For information and online condolences, please visit:www.northviewfuneralchapel.com. Geoffrey FitzClarence, 3rd Earl of Munster - Wikipedia Gordon passed away peacefully Monday, October 31 at the glorious age of 91, at Good Samaritan Prairie Ridge in Raymond. George will be deeply missed by everyone, especially his grandchildren. Matters then remained quiet until March 1877, when Gordon proceeded to Massawa, hoping to make peace with the Abyssinians. [31] When Gordon arrived at Hong Kong, he was disappointed to learn he was "just too late for the fighting". George G. Gordon, 80, of Indianapolis, passed away December 18, 2022. If your email does not go through check the spelling for the double "ss". Tom, Greg, and Curtis, Always happy George Gordon Obituary - The Indianapolis Star [176], Gordon's abrupt mood swings and contradictory advice confirmed the Cabinet's view of him as mercurial and unstable. [146] On the island of Praslin in the Valle de Mai, Gordon believed that he found the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the form of a coco de mer tree which fruit bore a close resemblance to a woman's body. [110], He accepted their offer, believing rather naively in Leopold's and Mackinnon's assurances their plans were purely philanthropic and they had no interest in exploiting Africans for profit[111] but the Khedive Isma'il Pasha wrote to him saying that he had promised to return, and that he expected him to keep his word. We played hockey together. After he arrived in Britain, Gordon announced to the press that he "did not want to board the tram of the world" and asked to be left alone. Ismai'il's Chief of General Staff was the American general Charles Pomeroy Stone, and a number of other veterans of the American Civil War were commanding Egyptian troops. [51] In China, the penalty for rebellion was death. His moods were capricious and uncertain, his passions violent, his impulses sudden and inconsistent. [159] The Ansar captured a large number of Remington rifles and ammunition cases together with many Krupp artillery guns and their shells. Asher concludes: "He did not save the country from invasion or disaster, but among the British heroes of all ages, there is perhaps no other who stands out so prominently as an individualist, a man ready to die for his principles. [93], During the 1870s, European initiatives against the Arab slave trade caused an economic crisis in northern Sudan, precipitating increasing unrest. Tablet indicates where General Gordon was killed, Jan. 25, 1885", "Khartoum: blackface Olivier scrapes the bottom of some macabre barrels", "The Political Martyr: General Gordon and the Fall of Kartum", The Journals of Major-Gen. C. G. Gordon, C.B., at Kartoum, Newspaper clippings about Charles George Gordon, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_George_Gordon&oldid=1142434977, Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, Gordon of Khartoum, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 10:23. Planting will take place in Spring of the following year. JAMIE WYBLE OBITUARY. [134], Hardly had Gordon resigned when he was invited to Beijing by Sir Robert Hart, inspector-general of customs in China, saying his services were urgently needed in China as Russia and China were on the verge of war. Gordon had gone to the Sudan with high hopes that via his iron will and Christian faith he would defeat the Ottoman-Egyptian system of rule, that he would act as a reformer who would change the system from within to make what was unjust, just, and that he would make things better for the ordinary people of the Sudan. Donald Don Gordon Bowen 2023, avis dcs, necrologie, obituary George, [68], Every year, Gordon gave away about 90% of his annual income of 3,000 (equivalent to 351,000 in 2021) to charity. [100] Gordon soon learned that his superior, the Governor-General of the Sudan, Ismail Aiyub Pasha, was deeply involved in the slave trade and was doing everything within his power to sabotage Gordon's anti-slavery work by denying him supplies and leaking information to the slavers. George Harrington Obituary (2013) - Oswego, NY - Syracuse Post Standard These aims eluded him.[93][114]. [144], Gordon returned to Britain and rented a flat on 8 Victoria Grove in London. He attended schools in Ferndale and Eureka, CA. (89 years old). [60], Following the death of his father, he undertook extensive social work in Gravesend, feeding homeless boys whom he found begging on the street while also attempting to find them homes and jobs. George Gordon (1955-1987) *31, Grave #45742967 - Sysoon He was deeply loved by all who knew him and he will be dearly missed every day, with joyful anticipation of an eventual heavenly reunion. [159] By the end of 1883, the Egyptians held only the ports on the Red Sea and a narrow belt of land around the Nile in northern Sudan. Obituary. [203], In 1982, a documentary on Gordon's life was written and presented by the actor and historian Robert Hardy, entitled "Gordon of Khartoum". [12] However, the British public and Kitchener himself saw the expedition as one to "avenge Gordon". [43], Gordon's breakthrough caught the rebel army off guard and caused thousands of the enemy to panic and flee. In the months before the fall of Khartoum, Gordon and the Mahdi corresponded; Gordon offered him the Sultanate of Kordofan and the Mahdi requested Gordon to convert to his religion and join him, to which Gordon replied abruptly: "No! [257] In his Mission to Khartum The Apotheosis of General Gordon (1969), John Marlowe portrays Gordon as "a colourful eccentrica soldier of fortune, a skilled guerrilla leader, a religious crank, a minor philanthropist, a gadfly buzzing about on the outskirts of public life", who would have been no more than a footnote in today's history books, had it not been for "his mission to Khartoum and the manner of his death", which were elevated by the media "into a kind of contemporary Passion Play". Share. "[19], Gordon took part in the expedition to Kinburn, and returned to Sevastopol at the war's end. [133], In May, the Marquess of Ripon, who had been given the post of Governor-General of India, asked Gordon to go with him as private secretary. He was first and foremost a passionate follower of Jesus Christ and lived his life in humble but firm faith, pressing on towards the upward call he felt from a young age. He was born April 5, 1967, and resided in Baker, LA, until moving to Baton Rouge after marriage in 1988. He has written a 526-page flora of County Durham, plus a handbook on wild roses - a. The best supporter & best trusted in a crisis. It was thus their rivalry with the French, not a desire to "avenge Gordon", that led the British government to annex the Mahdiyah state in 1898. [114] The reforms that Gordon wanted would have changed the basic nature of Ottoman-Egyptian rule, by replacing a system based on exploitation of the people by the state with one where the state would work for the betterment of the people. It wasn't exactly fair to the Egyptian garrisons he had been sent to evacuate; they had no death wish". The bashi-bazouks were extremely susceptible to corruption and were notorious for their brutality, especially to non-Muslims. George Harold Folk, 84, of Findlay, passed away peacefully Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, at Mennonite Memorial Home, Bluffton. 23/01/2023. Wade echoed Hart, writing that Gordon had changed since his last time in China, and was now "unbalanced", being utterly convinced that all of his ideas came from God, making him dangerously unreasonable since Gordon now believed that everything he did was the will of God. I know if I was chief I would never employ myself for I am incorrigible". [13] He attended diverse congregations, including Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist. the passing of George. file size: 2 MB. [37] Burgevine was an unsavory character known for his greed and alcoholism. Messages run for up to one year and you I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers all the time. All Rights Reserved. [12], The British government asked Gordon to go to Khartoum to report on the best method of carrying out the evacuation. [52] The Ever Victorious Army did not take part in the final offensive that ended the war with the Capture of Nanking as the "Imps", as Gordon called the Imperial Army, wanted the honour of taking Nanking, the Taiping capital, for themselves. [93], Reflecting these realities, Gordon had to undertake much of the administrative work himself, travelling ceaselessly and constantly all over the Sudan via camel in attempts to make the bureaucracy actually obey his orders, something that occurred when he was present, but stopped as soon as he left. Pallbearers will be some of Gordon's beloved nephews. [253], Strachey, a member of the Bloomsbury Group of intellectuals, depicted Gordon as a ludicrous figure, a bad-tempered, deranged egomaniac with a nasty habit of knocking out Arabs whenever he was unhappy, and who led himself into disaster. Sign the Guest Book. Mac Gordon: Governors that might have been | The Enterprise Journal Colonel Valentine Baker led an Egyptian force out of Suakin and was badly defeated by 1,000 Haddendowa warriors who declared their loyalty to the Mahdi under Osman Digna at Al-Teb with 2,225 Egyptian soldiers and 96 officers killed. [195], On 4 September 1884, Gordon's fortunes took a turn for the worse when the most able of his subordinates, Mohammed Aly, together with about 1,000 of Gordon's best troops, were killed in an ambush while conducting a raid. The British sinologist Demetrius Charles Boulger published a biography of Gordon in 1896 which depicted him as a staunch patriot and a Christian of immense virtue who displayed superhuman courage in the face of danger. [156], The year 1881 was the Islamic year 1298, and to mark the coming of the new century, Ahmed announced that he was the Mahdi, and proclaimed a jihad against the Egyptian state.